Jonathan Rhys Meyers apologizes for in-flight meltdown

Irish star of Damascus Cover said he was sorry on Larry King's show this week, after he was greeted by police in LA having acted out on a flight from Peru, with his family.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers messed up and isn’t afraid to admit it, or to apologize. You may remember earlier this month, on a flight from Peru to LA with his wife and young son, JRM ordered a cocktail – a big no-no when you’re an alcoholic – smoked an e-cig on board and was abusive to his wife Mara. Cops were waiting on the runway when the flight landed, and he was released without charge.

The Irish Golden Globe winner is sorry, and explained to Larry King last week – yes, the King still has an interview show! – what went down.

“My wife and I had been traveling since three o’clock in the morning from Peru back to Los Angeles,” he said. “And they gave away our tickets — it was just a problem with the airline. We had our baby, who was teething at the time, and it was all kind of frustrating. So we eventually got on the flight and my wife went to sleep and I very stupidly decided to order a drink.

“When my wife found that I’d ordered a drink she got very, very angry with me because I shouldn’t drink. It doesn’t suit me and I had been sober for a long time.

“And so I felt that mistake and I got upset and I took out an e-cigarette. And the airline staff told me that I wasn’t allowed to smoke an e-cigarette so I put it away. And then I spoke to the Los Angeles police once we got there, who were incredibly kind. Incredibly understanding. I apologized for my behavior, and that’s the entire story.”

Jonathan has struggled with alcohol issues for years, and thankfully this most recent incident seems to have been a blip. His latest film, Damascus Cover, drops in select theaters and on demand this Friday.